and head of
government

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval

elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each
state; president and vice president serve four-year terms; election
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)

election results: George W. BUSH elected president; percent of
popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 48%, Albert A.
GORE, Jr. (Democratic Party) 48%, Ralph NADER (Green Party) 3%,
other 1%

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100
seats, one-third are renewed every two years; two members are
elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and
House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote to serve two-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 4
November 2002); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000
(next to be held 4 November 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - Republican Party 50, Democratic Party 50; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Republican Party 221, Democratic Party 211, independent 2, vacant 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for
life by the president with confirmation by the Senate); United
States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and
County Courts

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Terence McAULIFFE,
national committee chairman]; Republican Party [James S. GILMORE
III, national committee chairman]; several other groups or parties
of minor political significance

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: APEC, ARF (dialogue
partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CCC,
CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP,
FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council,
UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Flag description: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and
bottom)